Our Souls, Conjured
by Miko Kanna
Summary: There is nothing wrong with wanting to live. There is every wrong with compromising for that right to live. We were not the first on this soil, but we were the only ones asked to be there. We won't lose here. (During Happenstance/Pre-01, OC fic)
1. Sophia and Olivia: Unknown

**A/N:** Ah, look, this is the other fic for this week. I don't dislike it at all. This story takes place in the same time frame as Happenstance, beginning a little earlier an carrying on until just before. This is OC centric with cameos from other stories and Happenstance itself. Please enjoy._  
_

Sophia is a very odd character to begin with but the others will clear everything up fairly soon.

Also, rated T for violence, cursing, death, and romance.

_-dialogue- _Sign language

* * *

_Sophia and Olivia: Unknown_

This place was painful.

That was the only word she could think of right now, now that her eyes were open and she was aware. _I'm not home anymore._ Home was familiar, crayon-covered walls and the smell of books and vanilla candles. It was a soft bed and bad dreams, and careful hands brushing red hair. This was darkness, an evening in a forest she had never been to and a sky of stars that she had never seen. This was some ancient thing called pain that she didn't experience anymore, full of glass shards and screams and something -possibly lots of things- dying.

She wasn't frightened, wasn't even disturbed by these moments. She had expected this, experienced them in her mind. Things here did hurt and even as she was, she could not grasp the reasoning. Grasping things, understanding, that was never her, never to be her. That was sometimes all right. Except... now she was alone. Well, almost alone.

A hiccuping noise came from beside her and she smiled a little from where she lay in grass and surrounded by trees. She could not get up just yet. Her legs ached again, as they sometimes did. Never too much to debilitate, which was a minor shame. She struggled to rise, red locks falling down her face and into her mouth. She didn't spit. Ladies did not spit. Like it or not, she was a lady. With a soft sigh, she managed to sit up, face pale.

_Fayte... where are you?_

The sobbing fell quiet for a second. Then it began again, a little quieter, a little more timid.

_You're going to have to cry better than that,_ she signed to herself, checking to see that her hands were okay. _There are scarier things than me.__I just don't remember what they are. _It was the worst, forgetting. She never wanted to forget anything else.

"_**I'm going to eat you someday, little thing. You will taste mighty good too."**_

The young woman shuddered, slowly placing her fingers at the sides of her head and rubbing her temples. Nightmares didn't have a place in the real world. She knew that. Fayte always said that, always.

Then again, just because Fayte said it, that didn't mean it was any closer to the truth. She had figured that out a long time ago.

"Eh-Excuse me?" Sophia turned her head to the side, now noticing the near-silence. The other person, for it had to be a person as far as she was concerned, was turning to look at her. "Do you... do you need help standing up?" Looking closer at her, Sophia saw she was looking at a pretty girl. Sophia could appreciate pretty. _His _wife had been rather pretty, like this girl. Big green eyes peered out of waves of blonde hair. Shakily, she stepped closer to Sophia, each step stilted and slow. _Is she scared I'll bite?_ A rather odd fear, though perhaps in this place, no fears were odd. Slowly, Sophia nodded, raising her hands. The girl reached out to grab them but then Sophia moved her hands.

_-Thank you,- _she said. -_I'm glad you noticed.-_

For a moment, the other girl stared. Then a watery smile broke out onto her face. _You too? _She signed. Sophia nodded. _Can y__ou hear? _At the next nod, the girl smiled a little wider, a little easier. Her face began to relax. That brought her relief, in some way. If one less person was scared, then it would work. Whatever it was that haunted her, it would go away.

It wouldn't be gone for long, however. Nothing ever was.

"What... should I do?" Her puffy eyes were slowly widening. "D-Do I need to carry you?" As Sophia prepared to shake her head, the girl crouched and took her arms. "H-Hold on. I can still... do at least this." She pulled Sophia, who was quite confused, to rest upon her back. Then a pair of small hands wrapped around the bottom of her skirt and she twitched, alarmed.

The girl, who hadn't even said her name, slowly pulled herself to a standing position, beginning to walk, carrying Sophia with her. "Um... you're a little heavy," she commented shyly. Sophia struggled to snort. She couldn't really answer like this. It wasn't like this girl was much bigger than she was. She felt a little lighter, even... "My name is Olivia," the girl finally said softly. "I... I don't know about where we are, but... I didn't want to sit there crying any more. That was probably silly of me..."

Sophia didn't think it was silly at all, now that she was here. She kind of wanted to cry too. But... She placed her head to rest against the other's neck. Olivia was strong, hadn't made another peep since. They continued to walk, though where they were going was impossible to guess in this darkness. Sophia looked around, rather thoughtful.

Nothing like the dreams.

This place was so quiet, so peaceful. Or maybe it was just a lull, just a pause before something happened. That was not... not good at all. What would come next? What would come now?

There was a sudden snap of a twig and Olivia let out an "eep", barely managing to keep hold of Sophia. She was almost tempted to make the girl put her down so at least one of them could run. Then a yellow fox made its way out of the trees and made a strange, if not strained, smile.

"There you are, milady," she said, amusement lilting a deep voice full of concern. "I see you have been busy. I thought you had run off."

For some reason, Olivia's face turned pink and she looked down. "S-Sorry Renamon." She glanced back at Sophia, still not asking her name, and gave a minute, encouraging smile. "This, well, is Renamon. She's a..." Her expression twisted with confusion.

"A Digimon," the fox supplied, or at least it appeared to be a fox. She couldn't be sure. Olivia was looking at her, waiting for her to do... something. What exactly? She couldn't move away or scream or something. Olivia recognized that and smiled. "We're in the Digital World, Miss," the fox added helpfully once the awkward silence had passed. "I can't tell you much more than that, I'm afraid. We're out in the open."

Taking a risk, Sophia moved her hands and signed a question. The creature- Renamon, apparently the creatures had names of a sort- raised a questioning eyebrow. Olivia frowned. "What will happen while we're out here?" Sophia gave a breath of a sigh. That wasn't _exactly_ what her question had been, but for the sake of them continuing to walk, that would have to do.

Renamon smiled, a smile that didn't seem right to her, though she had no idea why. "Remember the rules about strangers your brother told you, miss?" Olivia nodded and with that, picked up her pace a little. "Do you want me to carry her?"

"Nope!" Olivia replied, small, if fake smile blossoming on her face. Yes, that was the right word. Olivia reminded her of a flower, a somewhat delicate flower. "I'm fine! You need to be able to do that... bright, shiny thing you do!" Renamon let out a soft, exasperated laugh.

"If that is what you desire."

She wasn't okay; Sophia could feel it in the way her shoulders trembled. She was _trying _to be okay, which for her position, Sophia considered nice of her. Or... maybe she didn't know any better. What a strange thing to not know.

Fayte would probably understand it. Fayte didn't grasp very much sometimes He was too busy avoiding things. He would get her though; she was sure. He did that sometimes, when he actually listened.

She wondered where he was in this place.

He was probably worried about her..

Mentally, she chuckled. He always worried. Until today, she had thought it silly. Their world wasn't scary. She didn't have nightmares about it or anything. Now he was somewhere he wasn't sure about, and alone. Fayte did badly when he was alone.

"Renamon?" Olivia's very quiet voice startled her from her thoughts. "Why are we here?" Sophia perked. Yes, that was a good question. She squeezed Olivia's shoulder in praise. Huh, that wasn't a very curvy shoulder. Regardless, those were questions that the dreams never answered: what or why.

Renamon was very quiet for a few moments. Sophia wondered if she would answer. She clicked her tongue and Olivia winced, about to take the question back. Then she answered in a slow, careful voice. "Because the world's inhabitants, we Digimon, wish for you to be here. To be specific, enough of us do. We cannot stop this ourselves. None of us can stop these grandiose events alone. We... we need more time than we have."

Olivia's eyes blinked. "What?"

The tongue clicked again. "It is hard for me to explain, my lady. I did not believe I would have to. I did not believe I would be this intricately involved. And now... now that I am, this gets difficult... and you need to run, milady."

The blond paused, her expression twisting with dismay. "But..."

"You promised me, milady, that you would listen. And you have to get her out of here as well. Now, go!"

With those words, she spun on one white hind paw and threw shining leaves into a spot in the trees. There was a hiss, like that of a forest snake, and a strange, metal star flew towards them. Olivia almost screamed and began to move, running into the trees with her eyes closed. Sophia bounced as the other girl ran. Should they not stay? Wouldn't it be safer if they did so? Or would it be safer to abandon their protector and run?

Then again, she doubted Olivia was thinking of anything past getting them out of there.

Once again, Sophia wished she could walk. Or talk.

But wishes didn't save anyone, did they?

Olivia was whispering as she ran. "Oh Renamon, you made me swear to run, but you could die! I didn't heal you just to see you go! Why?"

_-She wants you to be safe.-_

"But I don't want her to die either, especially because I left her!"

_-Why?-_

Olivia didn't look at her, even as she continued to stumble through dark brush and trees. "Our world is turning into a place that has to leave people, to leave them to their own sadness so you personally can be happy. I don't... everyone has been so kind to me."

'Everyone?' Who was 'everyone'? Was 'everyone' like Fayte, who learned how to be kind to her? Was it like the many people in the books who told her stories and showed her dreams? What was everyone?

Olivia's voice softened but was no weaker, no less... truthful. "They could hate me, she could hate me, but... she doesn't. I just..." She shook her head. "I can't be okay with being like our world! That just... it isn't right!"

The earth shook where she walked... and something sang into Sophia's ears.

Her dreams awoke in her mind and she began to see.

_Light so bright and warm it was a sun..._

_Fists, paws, blades, all blurring together..._

_Someone was calling her, calling her name._

"_Endow me...gift me..."_

"_Hurry before it... **eats you!" **_

_I don't remember, _she thought. _I don't remember... I won't. I won't make it real... I can't._

"Wake up!"

Sophia opened her eyes, dimly aware that her nails were digging through the other's cream-colored sweater into her shoulders. Olivia was still running. It wasn't her voice that was speaking, however. Or... it was, but it was different. Not... right somehow.

Olivia smiled at her, a little weaker before, but this time dry-eyed. "Come on," she encouraged in that strange, not light voice. It was cracking in the wrong places. "We _both _can't panic, not in this place. We have to make it... somewhere." She nodded and loosened her grip. That was so. She would make it. To answer these half-formed dreams... _to not get eaten..._ she would do it.

Sophia had survived fourteen years. She could survive a few more.

There was a sickening thunk and she flinched, noticing Olivia paid it no mind. Looking, she saw the glint of metal in the light of what must be a moon and tugged at Olivia's hair. _"Don't," _the other hissed and Sophia nodded. She couldn't look. If she got distracted, she would falter.

Renamon had made her promise to run. As another piece of sharp metal whizzed past her ear, Sophia truly grasped why.

If Olivia stopped, they would die.

Death was like being eaten.

That... that just couldn't happen!

"_Dancing Leaves!"_

Olivia screamed and was thrown backwards, scratches making blood run red down her face. She managed to turn her body to block Sophia from dozens of swirling, sharp leaves. From those leaves appeared a small, masked creature. It glowered at them, stepping forward with sword ready to draw. Sophia peeked out from under Olivia's outstretched arm and shuddered. Her head had begun to ache.

"_You should.."_

"Not be here," snarled the creature. Its skin was odd, a pale, milky blue. Its steps trembled, even as it unsheathed its blade. "You humans... why are you here?" It lumbered closer on small limbs and Olivia tried to move herself to kick. However, her legs screamed and she almost fell flat on her back. "I... we can take care of this... by ourselves! We don't need you... you monsters! This is... our world! Go..."

"_Go back!" _Sophia's mind screamed at her. Where was back?

There was no way to get an answer. The stranger lunged, unsheathing a sword. Olivia cringed, moving to keep Sophia from being hit...

The pain never struck, held back by a wing. "Are you all right, my lady?" The new being didn't glance at her, focusing a doll-like face on the other. The creature planted large red talons in the dirt. When Olivia didn't answer, it paused to glance back. "Olivia? Miss Jo- Olivia? Are you all right?" Blue eyes focused on her. "It's Renamon, my lady."

Olivia shook herself, feeling Sophia's hand tighten its grip on her wrist. "Re-Renamon? What... what happened to you?"

She swore the creature smiled. "You." She lifted the two girls into her wings like they were arms and pushed off, running on large, red talons. "Don't move, either of you. We need to hurry."

"Rena-where?"

"To a safe zone. Away from infected, like that Igamon." She began to glide with one wing, pulling the two teenagers close to her.

"I-Infected?" Sophia watched Olivia's face contort with fear. "Infected with _what?_"

Though the new form of Renamon could make no expressions, Sophia felt like the creature was holding rage hostage in her eyes. "A virus. And we've chosen to beg your kind for help to get rid of it. These... they are desperate times... and we Digimon are a desperate race."

Olivia reached out and pulled Sophia to her chest. Sophia hugged her back, feeling Olivia beginning to shake horribly. She showed her hands. _You protected me, even though you were scared._

Olivia gave her a weak smile. _Why not?_

_What will happen to us now?_ It was a question her nightmares never answered. They simply always had ended. Every night, since that day, they always simply ended.

Olivia hesitated a moment, tears beginning to rise to her eyes. _I don't know... I... just don't know._

"My lady, please do not fear." She looked up at her. "I... I will return you home. No matter what it takes, I will get you to your home... as you have returned me to mine. I swear it. And... little nameless one, with a strange heart." Sophia blinked. "You will find your answers here. I know you will. Have faith."

No one spoke again, but as howling began to echo from behind them, Sophia tensed.

_Fayte... you weren't in my dreams. But you have to be here. I know you are. Because you follow me everywhere._

_You are such a fool, Fayte._


	2. Len: Anxiety

_**A/N:**_Update!

Thank you Edhla and Blue. Also, the eep was meant to be comical. XD

This fic takes place before and during Happenstance. It will clear up some of the side chatter of Gennai and Gaomon for example. Please don't be scared of the OCs. They don't bite. :) Reviews will be appreciated and loved. Thank you.

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Len: Anxiety

_One at the palm... Two at the upper lip... Three at the left side of the shoulder blade... Four at the right wrist..._

Deep breaths Len. Keep counting. Don't move your fingers, just remember. If you do that, you will be okay. You will be in your body again. You will still be in the scary forest, but you will be okay.

_Fifteen is at the right wrist bone, having made a nick at the carpal that sticks out. Sixteen and seventeen at the back of the head and are covered by the hair. Eighteen... nineteen... twenty... at the lobe of the left ear..._

The scars are a sign of what you are. As long as you have them, you're you and you have done something right. Keep counting.

_Thirty-one at the back of the right knee, given by a piece of window pane. Thirty-two at the throat, almost breached skin to the inner workings of the larynx. Thirty-three at the pinky finger, splitting at the knuckle..._

They were him, the source of his soul.

They were his mistakes.

_Fifty-six at the lumbar... fifty seven at the heel... fifty-eight and fifty-nine overlapping over the metatarsals of the right side..._

There now... His breathing was easing out. He was starting to feel a little more in control. The boy made a strained, what was once painful smile, loosening his grip on his pajama shirt. Sixty. That was a little higher than usual. He could usually calm down before the thought of the forty-ninth at the base of his lower jaw, caused by a...

Well, it was something to keep a note of. Toshima-san would be worried that it had taken him this long, even if the plausibility of extenuating of circumstances was there.

At least it wasn't one hundred and thirteen. He didn't like thinking of that last one.

That would be a sign of relapse and failed therapies and then there would have to be something done about it... and would that not be a shame?

Oh... and there he went again, thinking so clinically. That was silly of him. He was not a doctor. He was not a medical or intelligent fellow in any way. He just liked to read. Len just liked to be out of the way until he was needed.

If he was needed.

The little boy, now fully aware of himself, of his being not where he was meant to be, looked around. He was not in his home, not in Tokyo. He was in a place full of trees and loud noises. _How did I get here? _He asked this question of himself with a nervous little giggle. His mind, deep in a corner of it, began to prepare to start the count again, but the boy caught himself, amusing his slowly healing fingers by twirling a lock of his strawberry-blonde hair.

Len tried to think back, tried to recall what had brought him to be curled under a tree trunk like this, now that the anxiety was, not gone exactly, but sated. However, there were only blurs and mumbles of voices, all of which were strangers. That would explain a great deal, at least to him. Len's typical communication with other people usually started with him staring at the floor and ending with him wishing he _was_ the floor, stuttering and trying not to bawl.

The trying part got a little more difficult each time.

However, that wasn't important now. He was there and able to be seen and that was the only important thing at this moment.

Len brought himself to one knee and winced. _Scar eighty-three, left kneecap, still tender from jogging in Gym and falling wrong. Stupid, don't forget that again or you'll mess something up. _Gingerly, he switched knees and pushed himself to his feet. He sighed softly. Ten years old and he sounded like an old man with a cane, according to his sister. Though it was never said in jest by her, Len took it as a joke anyway. It was easier if he did.

It was easier to pretend if you were laughing about it.

"Mm... where... where do I go from here?"

He limped (always with the limping, walk straight) out of the brush. He didn't know entirely where a safe place was... but being in the middle of a bunch of trees was probably not good. Bears could show up. Len had never tried outrunning one before.

He never wanted to either.

"Where are you going, kid?"

Len jumped and wheeled around. A white dog stood at his waist level, amber eyes giving him the filthiest of glares. It made him edge, unconsciously, towards a possible exit. Glares... anger... erm... oh he had to get a hold of himself. It was just a talking dog!

He hoped it was the dog that had talked and not the nearby trees. That would be very weird.

Len looked down at it. It was... a weird creature. That ring on its neck sure was pretty though... if a little bit broken. He continued to look, despite the shaking in his legs, even as the creature waited for an answer with bared fangs. "You..." he said softly. It twitched. "You have scars too..."

It blinked before giving him a growl. "What does that have to do with where you're going?"

Len smiled. It was a reflex. Everyone stopped being ready to hurt others if you smiled. "Well... um, it doesn't. I just... I just noticed." He warily raised a hand to scratch at the side of his face.

"So what? So do you!"

_Everyone does,_ he wanted to say. _Nobody wears them with pride like you do though. _Len kept these words in his mind. He doubted that would help him any. "I know," he finally said. "I just... I just have a habit of noticing scars. "

The creature sat back, looking at him with a long-bred suspicion. Suspicion of everything, of everyone. Len knew that. "You still didn't explain yourself."

The boy let his smile become sheepish. "I don't know where I'm going."

"Then _why _go?"

"Can't be any better to stay," Len murmured.

"It is if you're going the wrong way."

"Um... what is the right way?"

The dog sneered. "Why should I tell you that?"

The boy scratched his head. "Why not?"

It blinked then it made a whining sigh. "Come on. Better than havin' yer one-eyed butt on my conscience." Len nodded, following. "What are humans doin' here anyway? Folder ain't no place for 'em, but this is askin' fer it." The creature continued to mumble to itself, padding forward without a single glance up or sniff of the air. "What's yer name anyway, human?"

"Len."

The dog snuffled. "What kinda name is that?"

"English" Len replied without thinking, smiling a little. He was calm now, unnaturally calm in the face of a talking dog. Then again, his big brother had... spoken of talking monsters too... but that had been just a dream. Yeah... his brother... he didn't remember him at all, except for pictures... "Um... what's your name?"

"Plotmon." At the silence the named creature turned. "What, Tailmon got your tongue?" Len shook his head and shrugged. "You're weird, ya know. Why do ya just say stuff?"

"It hurts less when you just say stuff."

If Plotmon didn't have his ears, he wouldn't have heard that. Regardless, his ears flickered, and he decided not to answer.

They walked in silence.

…

_What... What's happening?_

There was another scream and Len shied back, looking not at the blood, but the sword, with terror. "Plotmon, d-don't!" He wanted to scream louder but, even if he had, the Digimon would not have heard. The little creature let out a roar, racing up the opponent's blade. The dinosaur's green eyes bulged with agony, the blue tinge to its scaly skin almost luminescent with the moon (moons?) shining down on it.

"Don't tell me what to do, kid!" the creature yowled. "I've got this!" He rolled off the blade, dodging a slash and rushing forward again. Howling, he screamed so loudly into the dragon's face, it made Len clap his hands over his ears. Plotmon flipped down and skidded to a halt in the grass, barking his delight. "How d'ya like that?" The swordsman let out an unearthly wail and then sliced towards him. Len tackled Plotmon, rolling them both away from the large blade. He winced, blood spurting from the back of his ankle. Len made himself stand and run, carrying the squirming Digimon away.

"What the Dark Area are you _doing_?"

"Running away."

"_Why?" _

"Because I'm a coward." Len didn't glance up once as he said those words, but Plotmon shivered. He felt like that gaze was on him anyway: one-eyed and resigned. "You aren't a coward... but I am. And I don't want to die yet. I'm sorry."

Plotmon remained still for a moment, then he burrowed into the arms carrying him. "... I'll live, I guess." Len giggled a little, nervous laugh loud in the dark trees. "... Thanks."

"... What?"

Plotmon's cheeks burned and his tongue lolled out, despite any modicum of self-control. "... No one's ever saved me before."

Len gave him a quiet, disconcerting look. "... I didn't think anyone would save me until they did."

…

"Make a left."

Len obeyed, wincing at the twist it made on his ankle. He crashed through a bush, hearing a screeching roar only feet away. "What was that?" He almost wailed, but instead he bit his tongue and swallowed his screaming. It was better just to get it over with, just to be quiet and hope the wrath went somewhere else. Plotmon sniffed. "You okay, kid?"

"Uh-huh..." he whispered. "Just teh-tell me where to go..." _Slashed the muscles layering over the metatarsal on the left... If I keep this up... I could ruin my leg..._

Tears welled up in his eye and he closed it. _Not again... I... I keep ruining things... I..._

"_If you... if only it wasn't you..."_

"_You've got two eyes. Maybe you'll see better if you _don't_."_

"Don't you slow down!"

Plotmon sank tiny fangs into his left hand and Len winced. The amber eyes locked onto him, burning with a sulfuric fire. "Come on now, kid!" he growled. "Don't you get all wishy washy and half-hearted! A man doesn't live like that! You keep running, full tilt! No regrets, no hopeless crap. Just _go!_"

The pup leaped from his arms. "Come on, come on! Yer supposed to be strong, right? I've seen dem marks! Those ain't a coward's marks! Those are a _fighter! _And fighters know how to move! Go, go, go! You don't wanna die, then go!" He took off, and... despite the trembling, Len continued to run.

"All I'm good at is running..." he said to himself, pulling a leaf from the back of his blue shirt.

Plotmon snorted. "Doesn't mean that all you're good at is running away." Len stared at the back of his white, bouncing head. "Ain't nothin' wrong with runnin' cause I don't do it. Ain't nothin' wrong with fightin' cause you don't do it. You an' me... we're different." He turned and tackled Len, knocking him away into a tree. There was a sickening snapping noise, which Plotmon had to spun to face the swordsman again. The Digimon was drooling out the of the side of its mouth, milky eyes rolling to look for them.

"Yeesh, that guy's long gone," Plotmon muttered. "Too bad..." Len tried to get up but his leg didn't budge, twisted awkwardly. The boy was whimpering, holding back tears. Plotmon thought he saw a glimmer of white underneath the other's fingers and grimaced. How badly had he hit the kid?

"Stay there," he ordered the boy. Not like he could move but... "I got this."

Of course he did. He always did. He had always lived this way... always... by fighting. Anything, everything... he would tear it apart...

"_Puppy Pummel!" _

With his life at stake.

The dragon swung his smaller blade and the fist slammed Plotmon into the dirt. Then the creature lumbered past, raising two of its blades towards the frozen human.

"Ey'... what're you doin'?" Plotmon growled. He tried to move to his paws again. "Dat kid... what's he done to you, 'ah? Ya dumb corpse!" He went ignored and the dinosaur raised its hands.

"Lizard Dance."

Len screamed and blood burst like flowers in bloom.

…

It was strange.

His fingers... they felt so far away...

His leg wasn't hurting anymore.

Then again... nothing was hurting anymore.

Oh... that was bad, wasn't it? Maybe he should ask Plotmon. Hey Plotmon, was it bad?

Hey... Plotmon... what's the matter? You look so sad. But I'm fine. I'm not in pain...

I'm not really... anything...

_Initiating long-distance set-up. Stand by._

What?

"_It's okay, I've got this for now."_

Oh... okay.

Plotmon watched Len's eyes close and headbutt him. "Like Dark Area yer getting' away with that! You aren't allowed to die on me!" Even as he pressed his snout forward, Len remained still, blood sinking into his paws. "No... that's not fair. You... you saved me! That's... that's not..." _That doesn't happen..._

Plotmon howled and howled, turning to snarl at the Digimon. "Bastard..." he growled. "I'll kill you!" He leaped, ready to slam small paws into a large, drooling head.

Then his vision blurred and filled with... light? Gold?

"What...What the hell's goin' on?" His fur stood on end, skin below bubbling and stretching. Through the light, he could still see Len, see his fragile, still body. His eyes narrowed. "Whatever this is... is it gonna let me kill this bastard? It better!"

He roared and a dragon roared within him.

Plotmon felt the world right itself, vision slitting into a visor and he fell, slamming like a pile of bricks and crashing the dragon to the ground. "Yi-pe-kai-ay bro," he snarled, clambering off with legs that felt like trees. Metal scraped on metal and he turned, spinning on the fallen dragon. It rose clumsily, arms swinging at nothing. The blade on its back was cracked and splitting. Beneath his armored visor, Plotmon- or what _was_ he now- smirked. "Didn't like that, did ya? Want some more?"

The creature remained silent, lunging towards him and slicing down. Plotmon spun and his newfound metal tail knocked the wrist away. "Face my claws!... Okay that sounded lame." He glanced back at Len. "Don't worry, ya stupid kid. I got yer back."

The dinosaur's' blade struck at his back, slicing into a metal wing. "Akinakes!"

"Shut up and eat lightning." Plotmon stabbed a sparking horn into the enemy's arm, blood spurting out and electricity sparkling up and down the limbs. "And for the final course I'll enjoy a nice platter _made of you! Iron Press!" _Raising his front legs, he pushed off and leaped. As his large body slammed onto the enemy, the blades attached to his wrists sank into Plotmon's body. He snarled in pain but did not move.

_Fricken jerk... hurry up and just..._

There was a loud, blank groan and the sound of cracking before the weight below his feet vanished and exploded. Plotmon strode away, moving to look down at the human. Thing looked over half-dead...

_How in the hell did he survive a _Lizard Dance_ anyway?_

He didn't really think he had time to think about it. Lowering his head, he carefully picked up Len in his mouth and held him up on his back. He then flapped his wings and flew.

"...I won't letcha die."


End file.
